Untold Fantasy (Book 1)
by Gabriella F
Summary: Lace Riley discovers that she can materialize into mirrors and into alternate realms while asleep. Sleeping Beauty used to be a fairy tale, but not before Lace discovers that a world very similar to it exists. Lace finds reprieve in this sanctuary, but when Vivian (Malficent's evil sister, looking for revenge) makes threats to Stefan's kingdom, she curses Lace with Sleep Paralysis.
1. Introduction

**~A/N~ Been a long time since I've used Fanfiction; I created a new story without putting the docx files into the document manager _ Anyways, here's a story that I'm HOPING will get officially published later on. I wrote this on nanowrimo, so I'm sure there are errors hiding within the manuscript. Let me know if you see anything, and tell me what you think about the story~**

* * *

Shadows rise in an unknown realm.

Heathens call to be one with the helm.

Kingdoms fall at the hands of evil,

Swords are sharpened, and knights are equal.

Hear the thousand marching armies,

And watch the horrors storm your memories.

Eyes are filled with regret and pain,

Burning arrows fall like rain.

When darkness descends, and hopes have vanished,

Will compassion quench the thirst for vengeance?

Hear the death bells ring their chime.

Once upon a time.

* * *

Introduction

In a faraway land, there lived a king—named King Stefan—who reigned his kingdom, alongside his wife, Queen Leah. For many years they wanted a child, and they were soon blessed with a daughter, which they named Aurora.

The King and Queen came up with a plan to unite their kingdom with their life-long friend's, King Hubert's kingdom.

At Aurora's christening, they announced to the kingdom that the young princess would be betrothed to King Hubert's son, Prince Philip. But neither of the children was aware of the engagement.

The Three Guardians, the kingdom's well-known excellences arrived at Aurora's christening, blessing her with three gifts. Fauna, the green Guardian granted Aurora the gift of song. Flora, the red Guardian, granted Aurora the gift of beauty. But Merryweather, the blue Guardian was interrupted before she was able to grant her gift.

Maleficent—an evil witch wanted dead by many kingdoms—enters the throne room and curses Aurora. She casts a curse on the young princess: Before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and perish. She vanished and was never seen again for a long time.

Maleficent's powers are far too great for the Three Guardians to battle, and their magic can only be used for good. Instead of undoing the spell, Merryweather cast a spell on Aurora: If she should ever prick her finger, the spell will allow her to evade death in sleep, and she will not stir or die until her love's kiss awakens her.

Aurora was then sent away with the Three Guardians to live in hiding for the next sixteen years until they know it is safe for her to return to her royal family.

On her sixteenth birthday, they returned her to the castle, only to be tricked by Maleficent into touching a spindle. Prior to Merryweather's spell, Aurora had fallen asleep and evaded death. Prince Phillip fought his way into the castle past Maleficent's spells and slayed her with a sword to the heart in her dragon form. He kissed Aurora, and the curse lifted, bringing joy and bliss to the kingdom.

But Maleficent's death only fueled the fire of a new evil lurking in the shadows.

Vivian—Maleficent's evil sister, sought looking for revenge—has made her approach on the kingdom with a new scheme that will destroy King Stefan and Hubert's kingdom, along with Princess Aurora's life.

* * *

**~A/N~ You could also check out my recently self-published book, Crestfallen - Solitude. It would mean the world for the extra support. Thanks for reading - more chapters on the way.**


	2. Prologue

Prologue

Two years later

K

King Stefan slayed witches with a passion.

Especially after a close encounter with his sworn enemy that nearly cost his daughter's life. The Three Guardians had told him the news about Aurora's near-death after her awakening. If Phillip hadn't gotten there in time—

He shook the thought from his head and focused.

King Stefan stood on the outer edge of the forest and peered through the hanging, ice-like mist, searching for anything that might be out of order.

Behind him, archers were perched in trees, keeping their arrows nocked for any sudden movement.

In the forest, an army of hand-selected knights stood on their horses, javelins, shields and swords at the ready.

Despite the army's numbers, the entire forest was silent—too silent. Something had to be wrong.

But there was nothing but the sound of his own beating heart, the shrilling wind, and the lapping ripples of the lake to keep them company. The heavy fog cast a chill in his bones, making his skin moist. "Do not lower your guards!" Stefan's firm voice echoed throughout his army. "They will be here shortly."

A hoot owl circled the sky overhead before resting on a tree branch. It watched the army in silence with it's head tilted to the side, as if making a mental note.

As if on cue, foreign, whispering voices arose in the air, and the knights of the army shifted uncomfortably in place. Some leaned over to their comrades, whispering amongst each other words of panic. A dreary black cloud bled across the sky, sourcing from somewhere beyond the mist. A low rumble shook the ground beneath the army's feet, and King Stefan made a small noise of confirmation. "The time has come," He mounted his horse and unsheathed his sword. "Archers, at the ready!"

The archers perched in the trees set the tips of their arrowheads aflame and strung them.

A thin line of endless marching silhouettes overhead could barely be seen through the mist. Their footsteps marched in perfect cadence to King Stefan's accelerating heartbeat. He turned to face his army. "Before battle, be mindful of death! We fight until this evil is but a stain upon our blades! Protect the kingdom, brethren!"

The marching silhouettes picked up pace, and then began charging at the wall of Stefan's knights. King Stefan unleashed a battle cry, giving inspiration to his army to charge. He snapped the reigns of his horse and charged at the army, sword raised shoulder-level. Humanoid two-legged warthogs, giant ravens, and werewolves ran in perfect order. They were lined up like chess pieces by rank, but were soon muddled together when the two armies collided.

The archers unleashed their flaming arrows, and the front lines of the enemy army began falling.

King Stefan chopped and sliced his way through the crowd of humanoid creatures, avoiding their razor sharp teeth. Blood stained the surface of his steel armor and iron shield, and red vapor arose in the fog. He clenched his teeth to keep his determination in focus as a flash image of his daughter's face blazed across his vision. He had to win this battle—he couldn't fail her.

Nothing was able to be delivered to his ears other than the screams of brutality and the violent clanging of swords against shields.

Through the haze of distraction, a creature with shadows bleeding out a trail behind came charging at him.

Stefan raised his shield. The force of the impact sent vibrations through his arms. His teeth went on edge.

He didn't know that he was knocked down from his horse until he felt his back hit the dewy ground.

He raised the blade once the creature came into sight—

And waited.

Noting that the king was hesitating, the creature charged forward with a growl.

Stefan sliced the sword down, severing the creature in half.

Instead of blood, shadows writhed beneath his feet.

A flash of green flames exploded across his eyesight, and everything standing in his path was pushed aside, forming a circle of nothingness around him. The fighting silhouettes around him seemed to slow down in time, but he knew he was just trapped inside a large field of dark magic. A low cackle grated against his ears as green flames danced in a vortex before him inside the field as well, materializing into the shape of a human.

Stefan's eyes darkened at the sight of her. "Vivian."

The green flames vanished, and Vivian stood before King Stefan, holding an emerald staff in her tight grip. Her skin tone had taken on a shade of green, and the locks of blonde curls in her hair fell over her shoulders. She observed Stefan with olive green eyes. "Why, don't be so surprised, Stefan—_King_ Stefan. You should've known this was coming."

King Stefan's sword suddenly felt heavier in his grasp, but he held it before him, preparing to attack. "Stay away from my kingdom, _witch_. Your sister has already suffered the repercussions of Oblivion for interfering."

"My sister?" Vivian echoed. Her eyes grew distant for a moment before she returned to the situation. "Maleficent was only trying to find peace in your kingdom before you banished her, accusing her of witchcraft. If your bloody son-in-law hadn't put that sword in her heart, your kingdom wouldn't be at risk now, would it?"

"Maleficent brought death upon herself the moment she tried to take our daughter's life," King Stefan held his sword in two hands, nearly at the point of slicing her head off. But he didn't take his eyes off the staff in her hand.

"No matter," Vivian said, circling her palm around the green globe of her staff. "I have come up with a new plan, and this time, there will be no stopping. I shall not take your daughter's life, but heed my next warning. There are similar mirror images of her in different kingdoms, and I have one mortal in mind for revenge. Before the sun sets on her eighteenth birthday, she will fall into my world of nightmares, and forever be a pawn in my army. But beware; her fate is tied with Aurora's."

King Stefan felt a shiver run down his spine, but he showed no sign of weakness or distress by Vivian's curse. "This is your last warning. Surrender or blood will surely rain down upon you."

Vivian raised her staff. "_Never_." She hissed.

With a brutal cry, King Stefan dived at Vivian with a swift arc of his sword.


	3. Chapter 1 - Ante Bellum

**~A/N~ As you can see, before each section or chapter begins, there's a certain letter. That's to clarify which realm is which and to avoid confusion.**

**S=Sanctuary**

**M=Modern**

**K=Kingdom**

**Each of the chapter titles are Latin phrases.**

* * *

Chapter 1  
Ante Bellum

S

There was light, but no sun.

Even when I looked towards the clear, blue atmosphere, it just looked like a massive sphere of emptiness. Light filtered in through every corner, illuminating the large expanse of forestry.

Dancing stars flickered to life on the surface of the lake's large breadth.

The breathtaking familiar aroma of crimson roses filled my nose with a sweet scent, and the immediacy of it all warmed every cold part of me.

I glanced down at what I was wearing—a heavy cloak, half-white and half-black. It draped past my feet with a hood that shadowed my eyes.

The faint echo of chirping birds filled the heavens with harmonious rhythms. It created an orchestra of soothing music.

A warm wind lightly swept past, caressing my face and causing leaves to stir in a whirlwind.

But something went wrong.

The sugary scent was replaced by a coarse smell of burning ashes. The sound of sizzling wood crackled in the air and the wind turned hot against my skin.

The sky began to darken as storm clouds bunched together overhead.

Red spores rose into the sky, floating from a source of green glowing light in the forest ahead. Flames—_green_ flames—licked their way through the trees, leaves, and bushes. Animals bound their way out of the forest as they tried to escape the emerald inferno.

I had a strange urge to run towards the fire, but at the same time, instinct told me to run away and never come back.

Ashes fell from the skies like black feathers and they singed my skin, hair, and gown. Finally I realized there was no option left; I whirled around and ran as fast as my feet could carry me beneath the heavy robes.

Leaping over mossy stones, I traced my way through trees, and batted through large thorn bushes. Despite everything, I couldn't deny my surprise when I found it _easy_ to move with the cloak's weight on my shoulders.

I could almost sense the green fire chewing through the brushwood, as if searching for me.

I wasn't expecting the sharp cackle that rang through the forest. "Wench; thinking you could escape my grasp a second time. I shall burn you alive, if I must!"

I slid to an abrupt halt when something leaped out of the shadows before me. Claws, razor sharp teeth, and gleaming red and yellow eyes ran across my vision. The creature didn't look like the one I had hit—instead, it looked more like a bloodhound with snake-like features.

The creature was hunched over, as if stalking it's prey, coming towards me.

I whirled around to run away, but a similar one emerged from behind a tree and stood in my path. Rustling resounded from all around me, and five of them had me surrounded.

I heard the steady flapping of wings, and a vulture landed on a ledge of a tree branch, watching what was happening below with expectation.

The creatures' circle grew tighter as they moved nearer and the darkness closed in.

"_Burn to a cinder_."

* * *

M

Someone was shaking my shoulder, their voice sounding a thousand miles away as they called my name. I raised my head with a jolt, squinting as my eyes took a moment to adjust to the sunlight.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. The plan was _not_ to fall asleep in college, remember?"

I brushed Karena's hand off my shoulder and took a moment to bear my surroundings. "My name is _not _Sleeping Beauty." The smell of chalk dust and paint told me that I was still in my Drawing Anatomy lesson. The classroom was nearly void of students, the remainder of them shuffling to the door as they conversed with one another.

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Please don't tell me how long I was asleep."

"Too bad, Lace. You've got a lot to catch up on the anatomy of a skeleton," Karena tossed her notebook to me, my slow reaction time nearly making me miss it. "Take a picture of my notes, and let's leave this place."

I rummaged through my bag and produced my IPhone before snapping a picture of the notes. After double-checking to make sure I had the picture saved, I pulled my work together and followed Karena out to the hallway, the heated packing mass of students nourishing the air.

We peeled our way through the tight spaces between students before breaking free into the courtyard. "Well, that was pleasant," Karena said as she slung her bag higher over her shoulder and we advanced towards the parking lot. "Did you hear about the new foreign exchange student?"

"Hm?" I said as my brows creased together. Foreign exchange students were all over the campus, so what was the big deal with this new one?

"She just moved here from Canada a few days ago, and her number of followers on Twitter is nearly topping mine." Karena explained. "I've never seen someone just walk into a completely different college with different people and double her amount of followers within a few days."

Karena was all about popularity, school gossip, and rumors. I wouldn't be surprised if she was mutual friends with _Amy Lee_ or _Ben Burnley_ on Facebook.

I was about to answer, when something interesting in the corner of my vision caught my attention. I moved my gaze to the far left of the parking lot to witness Seth, leaning against his black Honda Civic and conversing with another girl.

"You don't say." I spoke the words, but my mind was elsewhere.

Karena must've noticed the clouded look in my eyes, because she followed my gaze and stiffened at what she saw.

"Is that what I think it is?" I asked no one in particular, hearing my tone grow more heated with each passing second.

"Michael driving in a brand-new shiny Mazda and picking up girls? I can't believe my eyes."

"Not that—" I pointed towards Seth and the girl. "_That_."

"Who is she? I can't see her from here."

I unleashed a sigh through my flaring nostrils before making my way to them in a fast pace. "Whoever she is, I'm going to find out." I barely heard Karena's footsteps running behind me. "Wait! Lace? I don't think you should—"

But I had already moved out of her hearing range.

"_Seth_," I snapped once I had both their attention. "It's been a while."

"Lace." Seth acknowledged.

I lifted my chin to the brunette that stood by him. "I don't believe I've seen _you_ around the parking lot. What's your name?"

The brunette lightly grasped Seth's arm, and I immediately felt a stab of jealously like a hot knife. _I_ used to hold him like that.

The girl cast a weary glance at Seth, seeming to be hesitant about saying something. Seth gave her a reassuring nod. "Lace? This is Courtney. She and I are…" His green eyes held mine. "Dating."

_I knew it._

Despite myself, I cringed on the inside.

One half of me wanted to scream out at him, _what happened to _us_?! _The other told me to stay cool and collected and not show any signs of weakness.

Seth seemed like a traitor to any normal girl at first glance to outsiders, but in my eyes, he was just the opposite. A few years back, Seth had thrown a party. He drank and messed around like any other guy. But after being shown pictures of him lying in bed with some other girl sleeping in the crook of his body, the shock left me with no other choice but to dump him. I tried to tell myself that it wasn't real, only an illusion cast by my mind in an attempt to torment me, but the pictures were solid proof before my eyes.

Despite my better judgment, I still couldn't deny the fact that I still had feelings for him until this day. I tried to tell myself that I was better than this—that I could find someone better, but I couldn't stop my negative thoughts and actions from taking over.

* * *

Karena caught up with me after Courtney had disappeared back into the crowd of students in the courtyard and Seth had fled the scene in his car.

"What happened?"

I ground my teeth together. "That girl—_Courtney_—she's his girlfriend now." I responded distantly as a black cloud of uneasiness crept over me. I began fast-walking to my car, making a mental note to collapse on my bed and make an effort to forget it all once I reached home.

"Waitwaitwait," Karena stopped me in my advances, her hands grasping my shoulder. "What did you say her name was?"

"Courtney," I repeated slowly. "Why?"

"She's that new foreign exchange student."

"And?"

"So Seth has turned to dating the newbies."

"_Does it look like I care_?" I snapped, but on the inside, my inner conscious told me otherwise. I should've gotten over Seth, been_ glad_ that he was gone and dating some other girl rather than me. After what he did…

But Seth was drunk that night. He didn't know what he was doing.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, my mind getting tangled up in a net of decisions and diversities that I didn't want any part of.

Seth and I were over, and that was final. Courtney only proved that point; I was never getting him back.

Karena must've noticed the divided look on my expression. "If you need to be distracted with something, I'm hosting a party tomorrow night at seven o'clock."

I took Karena's offer into consideration. My mind needed something to think about _other_ than Seth and Courtney. And staying at home for the weekend, mulling over the thoughts didn't seem like a plausible idea.

"I'll be there," I replied distantly. "If anything, it'll take all this off my mind."

I sighed, fishing my car keys out of my pocket and unlocking the door to my Volvo, collapsing in the driver's seat and warming up the engine. "Text me."

* * *

Lightning lit the sky and rain fell in heavy sheets.

My hands tightly gripped the steering wheel as I fought to remain calm. Questions rapidly spun around my thoughts like leaves in a whirlwind. Rain pattered against the car's windshield, and I remembered to turn on the wipers.

Was Seth really dating Courtney? It couldn't be true—but I was only telling myself that because I wanted reality to bend towards my will. I had to hide my emotions from him. I didn't want to be jealous, but some unknown force was pulling me closer towards it.

I couldn't imagine the look on Seth's face if he saw what I was truly feeling, but he probably knew about my awareness of him and Courtney.

I knew a lot about Seth's past, but I was saving the chance to release it when the situation got too much out of hand. Seth had been abandoned by his parents at a young age, same as I had been. But after he was put into foster care until he was 15 years old, he had been found by someone he could call his dad. It wasn't until a few years later that he died in the armed forces, and ever since then, Seth had been considering signing up. It would destroy his chances of ever becoming an engineer, but if he did manage to sign up and leave, I had to tell myself it was _good riddance. _I didn't need him in my life anymore.

Pine trees and bushes whizzed past me through the drizzle of rain, and I caught a glimpse of my speed, which was over eighty, nearly ninety. I slowed myself down to the speed limit of sixty and attempted to remain focused on driving.

Since nobody was in front of me, I checked the rearview mirror to see how I looked on the surface. Bags of sleep deprivation created dark circles under my eyes, and I immediately knew it was because of the lack of sleep I was getting.

I had a rare sleeping disorder called Narcolepsy, which meant my brain didn't know the 24-hour sleep cycle, and I would fall asleep more often than usual. Something was keeping me up at night, and I didn't know what it was. At first, I thought it was a good thing, but after falling asleep in class way more often than I usually did, I had to take action and do something about it.

I should've been paying attention to the road, because I faintly saw a shadow scurry out of the thorn bushes and stop in the middle of the road, right in front of my car. The rain drops caught the yellow glow of my headlights.

I didn't know that I let out a scream until I heard it. I yanked the wheel to the left to miss the animal, but it leaped into the air, landing on the hood of my car, baring sharpened blood-stained teeth at me from beyond the windshield. It raised two claws and slammed them down against my windshield, creating a spider web of cracks that ran across the length of the glass.

He raised his claws once more, but I slammed my foot against the brakes, and the animal flew off the hood of the car and tumbled to the ground.

My car screeched to a stop, smoke rising from the tires. My chest grew tight, making it difficult to draw breath. I watched as the animal stood to it's four feet and shake it self. I had the strangest thought that it was going to launch itself at my car again, but instead, it merely glared at me and ground it's teeth. I had a split-second view of what it looked like.

The closest thing I could decipher it as was a warthog with claws for feet. Not even my headlights igniting the drops of rain could catch the leathery skin as dark as charcoal.

I watched from behind the cracked windshield as it stood on two feet with it's front claws hanging down. It's back was crouched over as it disappeared into the bushes without so much as a glance back at me.

The spider-webs of lines that destroyed the windshield then began to meld together, as if melting inside a furnace, although there was no heat. In a matter of seconds, the cracks and holes that were once on the windshield had mended back into shape. The dent on the hood of the car also began to rise and take the form of a hood again. It was as if nothing ever happened.


	4. Chapter 2 - Ad Hominem

Chapter 2

Ad hominem

M

"What did you say it looked like, again?" The officer asked me as he kept his notebook and pen at the ready.

I was sitting on the floor next to my car, with a medic examining me for injuries.

"It looked like a warthog," I explained, trying to find my best way to describe the animal. "It had sharp teeth that hung outside it's mouth, dark skin and claws."

The officer looked up from his notebook to eye me warily. "A _warthog_?"

Anger cut into me like a knife, angered at the fact he thought I was lying, but I knew what I saw. Despite myself, I regained my composure and nodded. "Or at least it looked like one. I think it escaped from somewhere."

Three police cars were parked near mine, as well as an ambulance, but I didn't have any injuries, as the medic then pointed out. A damp residue of rain coated the road with isolated puddles scattered around.

They had to detour the road until the "investigation" was over. After I called 911, I hadn't had a clue as to how I could describe what I saw. The animal _jumped_ on the windshield of my car and _smashed_ the glass. But after it ran off, the evidence that it had hit me just… disappeared. I was so shocked up to the point I began to doubt my own vision, but I _felt_ the collision.

"Was it wearing any collars or tags?" The officer asked.

I dug through the pages of my memory, revisiting the nightmare for anything else that was helpful. I didn't remember it wearing anything, so I shook my head.

The officer let out a low breath and shut his notebook. "Alright. We'll put up signs around the streets and wait until someone calls if they've seen the animal. I suggest you go home. We'll have an officer escort you."

"I think I'll manage on my own." I said, raising my eyes to meet his in an effort to show him I had no weakness.

"Are you sure?" He asked, eying me once more, probably to make sure that I wasn't pulling a prank on him. "After an incident like that, you should be shocked, too distracted to drive."

"Believe me; I've been traumatized enough by what happened back at college to worry about some escape animal." My stomach churned at the thought of Seth dating some other girl, but I shoved it aside. It was the last thing I needed now.

* * *

I dropped my bag by the door, threw my keys on the counter, and sulked into my room. I collapsed on the bed, oblivious to the dropping temperature leaking in from outside. I rolled to my side, remembering the homework I was assigned for the anatomy of a human skeleton. Stuffing the memory into an _on-hold_ file in the back of my brain, I forced myself to my feet and grabbed a hot shower, feeling the beads of water beating against my shoulders in hopes of draining most of the shock from the accident away.

No matter how hard I tried to block the memories out, they just continued to tear through the fabric of my mind and sharpen the image with more clarity than I remembered there being. I had hit animals on the road before, but none could compare to the creature that I had witnessed earlier.

It was unrealistic, but I thought I had saw a look in it's eyes… a spark that might have resembled _anger_. I shook myself from the thought, refusing to lead myself to believe that a mere creature could have feeling towards a complete stranger. But how else did it explain that the animal had jumped on the hood of my car and tried to break through the glass? And when the glass and hood had begun to mend after it disappeared… it didn't make any sense. It was impractical.

Or, I could've been hallucinating, but what would cause me to come up with such visions? Certainly not the stress over Seth and Courtney.

My insurance company wasn't able to do anything about the incident, since there was no damage done to the car, but I wasn't going to be tempted into believing that it was all an illusion.

Maybe I was better off trying forgetting it ever happened and just get some sleep.

After changing into a pink camisole, I climbed into bed and rolled away from the moonlight flooding in through the window. I tried casting out the chill of the memories, but the image only hit me back with even sharper clarity every time I shut my eyes.

My attention focused to the mirror that stood above my dresser, and my eyes began to cross, my vision doubling out of focus. Darkness began to close in on my vision, and the curtains of my eyes closed before I was aware of it.

* * *

K

But just as soon as I fell asleep, I awoke with a jolt, as if struck with a volt of electricity. I scanned my surroundings, searching for what had awakened me, but I realized I wasn't in my room. Three walls of stone enclosed me, and a locked gate barricaded the only exit. I lay on a pile of hay on a plank of wood that hung from the wall by chains. Shackles bound my wrists and ankles.

Was I dreaming?

I couldn't be—the chains that bound by wrists felt tight and they left marks on my skin.

Footsteps resounded from outside, and a yellow light slowly made it's way to my "cell". Someone stopped before my cell, two animals similar to the one I had hit sitting by her feet and carrying lanterns. The woman's skin had a jade green tone to it, and her hair fell into perfect locks of blonde curls around her. She held a staff with an emerald orb.

_I knew it. I'm dreaming_. Either that, or someone was pulling a prank on me. I eyed the cell for cameras, but found none.

The green woman smiled, but the warmth was lacking behind it. "I would like to see those three fools who call themselves 'Guardians' grant Aurora the third gift, now that I hold her life." She spoke out of conquest.

"What?" I stood up from the makeshift bed, but the shackles kept me from moving further. "I don't understand. Who are you? Why are you calling me 'Aurora'?"

"Not you, my dear. Your place in this war is merely being my pawn in taking Stefan's throne."

"Is this a prank?"

The green woman gave me a confused look before her features turned back to triumph. "'Prank'? Is mankind deteriorating this quickly, as to begin making up silly words? Nonetheless, I have what I want. On the morrow, we shall set out another army to take the throne. And you, my little girl—yes, you—shall be my ultimate weapon."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. Her lack of direct response was getting on my nerves. "What am I doing here?"

The green woman swept away down the hall, but one of her creature guards remained behind. It bared it's teeth at me and stuck it's long, forked tongue out before rushing after it's master.

I knew this couldn't be a prank. Creatures like those didn't exist—and if they did, how could someone get their hands on two of them for a mere trick? This had to be a dream, although I could never recall myself having a dream and being aware that I was dreaming.

I sat there, unmoving, wordless, as the light of the lantern flickered away into the hall, allowing the darkness to consume me. The green woman's evil cackle died away.

_Okay… now how do I wake up?_

My best assumption was to go back to sleep again, but even when I tried that, nothing seemed to happen. I was wide awake, even though I was dreaming. None of my dreams had ever come this close to reality. I lay face down in the pile of hay, but the wood crooked my nose at an aching angle. I squeezed my eyes shut, but it only seemed to pull me farther.

A second set of footsteps entered the hall outside, and I thought the green woman had returned, but a man's silhouette stopped and stood in the doorway.

"Stand back." Said a familiar husky voice. The silhouette pulled something out from behind his back, and my vision took it as a battleax. I couldn't run anywhere because of the shackles, so I hid under the wooden plank that hung from the wall. I knew this was a dream, but instinct told me to play it safe. The silhouette positioned the battleax over his shoulder and brought it swinging down against the locked latch. The gate creaked for a moment before it fell to the damp stone floor with a loud _clang_!

I crawled out from under the wooden plank as the silhouette marched inside, sheathing the battleax and producing a sword from his belt. "Give me your hands."

I glared at the sword and back at him. "Why?"

"There is no time to explain." He said, snatching my wrists and raising the sword high over his head.

I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the worst, but the sword divided the chains from my wrists and the wall. He did the same to my feet, and I was free.

"Let us go before the noise attracts unwanted attention." He took his gloved hand in mine and pulled me out of the cell. A light down the other end of the hall brought our attention, and the man's silhouette swore before leading me the other way.

I didn't know what was going on, but I found it somewhat better to be with _this_ stranger than to have to face the green woman again.

The silhouette led me out of the hall, and the fire of the torches provided me with just enough light to see the details on his face. When I did, my heart lurched. "Seth?"

It was no wonder his voice sounded so familiar. Everything about him defined _Seth_—his sharp complexion, his lean body build, and his brisk voice.

He gave me an understanding look. "No, my name is Philip. _Seth_ belongs to your kingdom."

_Ok, I'm confused._

We ran down the hallways, making sharp turns, trudging up sets of spiral staircases, and pushing past closed wooden doors. I instantly knew I was inside a castle, and the interior designing of stone gave it a medieval atmosphere.

Running footsteps echoed off the castle walls, and I knew their numbers were far greater than ours—whoever _they_ were. Philip—Seth—whoever he was—pushed past a large wooden gate just as an arrowhead buried itself in the wood. I looked back to see someone wearing a black hood carry a bow with a nocked arrow. I knew he wasn't human, because instead of legs and feet under his cape, I saw elongated wolf legs.

Phillip dragged me with him, and I had to run at my top speed to keep up the pace.

At last, we made it outside, but instead of sunlight, which I was expecting, a grinning moon illuminated the vast expanse of dark mountains. Storm clouds gathered together overhead, with lightning striking the ground below.

I saw a white horse tied near the entrance of the castle's outer walls, and Phillip quickly untied him. He mounted the horse before extending a hand to me.

I looked back to see a horde of humanoid creatures that looked like something you'd see in a nightmare charging out of the castle towards us, wielding sharp swords, daggers, and war hammers.

I took Phillip's extended hand, placed my foot on the stirrup, and hoisted myself on the saddle behind him. I held on to him as he slapped the reins, and we were darting away from the castle and into a dark forest.

Dead trees towered above us and moonlight flooded in through the skeletal branches. A coarse, burning smell of ashes caught my senses, and I glanced back to see the dead trees being set aflame. They were lighting the forest on fire, but instead of orange and russet colors, the flames were green.

Arrows hissed past us, emerald embers dancing on the arrowheads and burying themselves in the soft earth.

"_No_!" I heard the green woman's voice resonate throughout the forest. "_It cannot be_! I will never allow you to escape!"

The trees standing tall over us bent and shook, falling to the ground as if an earthquake had hit. A tree tumbled to the earth before us, and the horse upraised himself to his hind legs. I lost my hold on Phillip and fell.

My shoulder hit the ground first, and I felt something in my ribcage snap. I opened my mouth to let out a cry, but nothing came out. My head was throbbing. My heart was pounding against my chest and the world around me spun.

Through my darkening vision, I barely saw Phillip leaped off his horse, leaning over me. Lines of worry caught his features.

"_Seth_," It was the only words that could come out of my mouth. "_Seth_." I tried to say something else, but it ended up sounding even more similar to the name.

His produced something from his pocket and flipped it open, but my vocals kept working on the same word. "_Seth_."

He held the object in front of my face, and I saw my own self staring back. Through the panic, I questioned myself as to why he was putting a mirror in front of my face.

"Save yourself," I heard him say. "Move through the mirrors and get away from here. I will protect you from here on."

I felt myself gravitating away from the ground, and into the mirror, despite the small size. A green hue crystallized the mirror's surface, working in from the edges and making it impossible for me to see my reflection. My limbs slackened and my joints melted. I was slowly rising from the ground, and my vision doubled as I effortlessly moved towards the mirror.

I didn't fight against it—I welcomed it, in fact. A velvet sensation hummed through my being as my vision shut down, but I didn't stop repeating Seth's name.

* * *

M

I awoke to the sound of Seth's name, and it took me a second to realize I was the one repeating it. I sat upright in my bed, rubbing my eyes wearily and trying to make sense of what I was dreaming about. It seemed the only reminiscent that remained of the dream were quick flashes of dreary pictures and sounds that I couldn't originate.

A low, scraping noise yanked my attention to the window, where I saw a crouched silhouette, scratching at the glass with large claws. It's form and the way it was crouched told me it couldn't have been a cat. Once the animal noticed that I had acknowledged it, it bounded off the window and disappeared into the night.


End file.
